Day 245

According to the weather outside it is already November, we had the lights on all day, and it never really stopped raining that light drizzle, that gets you really wet, but you can't actually see. It was a horrible day, and we didn't do much at all!

This morning I couldn't even muster up the energy to go to sport, time my friend got back off of her holiday, its much easier to go when you aren't alone! Instead I stayed home and kept the boys company. At one point Richard came to me "Mummy can we read Percy Jackson now?" Cool, I am really enjoying the books, so I had no problem with an extra chapter in the middle of the afternoon. After that it was time to cook lunch, mmh, where is my minced meat? When I came home from shopping yesterday I got Robert to help and asked him to put it in the fridge in the utility room - oops. it ended up in the freezer. Not a problem really, but it added an extra 30 minutes to the cooking time, as I needed to defrost it first! He has since had a lesson on the difference between the fridge and the freezer! (note to self, teach Richard tomorrow, just in case!)

This afternoon Heike and the girls came round, just for a chat and to break up the day.

This afternoon I got an email from Kerrygold, I won another prize with them. I didn't win the weekend break in Ireland, but that is probably cause they heard Florian say that he didn't have time to go anyways, but I did win a huge package with all their products, that will be fun when it gets here, Cheddar is even part of the package, yummy!

My aunt wrote too, (hi there) and the wedding books I made as a wedding present for my cousin got there today - phew! It was a bit worrying when they ask you at the post office, what they should do if they can't deliver the package. They have never asked me that before. Luckily it meant nothing and all is OK. Now to hope that everyone likes what I did! When I replied to my aunt, I remembered I needed a picture for my blog, but today neither the kids or the cats were obliging, so instead here is a picture of our new frame on the wall in the hall. We have been rearranging and changing the photos and pictures around the house. I am really pleased with what we have done, but this I think is my favourite so far.

CU tomorrow!

Day 244

It's been so long I had to google what No. day it was today! But if I was off track, I am now right again.

And it is actually not a boring day to start blogging again. This morning Heike and I had our appointment with the school authorities about Richard's class.
The headmistress was there too, and although we didn't succeed in getting to keep Richard's teacher, we do now know that we have one teacher for the full two years they still have at the school. This teacher was also Robert's math teacher, so I know her and I know that alhough she is tough, she is really good. I think it will do the class good. We'll see.

Whilst I was out the boys were at home watching TV, I was greeted with the words "you were gone longer than one film, we're watching another one now", so  I think they had a good time.

This afternoon both boys went to Heike's to see her girls. They got back from their holiday with their Dad yesterday. Unfortunately what they found in their bedroom was not nice. Whilst they had been away their friends had been playing there, and for some stupid reason had thought it a fun idea to write down all the things they don't like about the girls. Robert wrote the list and they all contributed various points. I was so cross with both of my boys and I got them both to write another list of things they like about the girls and this afternoon they went to apologise. Luckily the girls were very grown up about it all, and are going to try to changed some of the things on the list. Wow, if it had been Robert on the receiving end, I would have still been trying to build up his self esteem at Christmas!

Well the boys apologised and then stayed to play, so all must be alright again now! And I think the boys understand how wrong it was, I hope so at least!

And it's been a month or more since the cats were featured, so here they are again!

CU tomorrow!
PS: Don't miss the August catch up post!

Catch up Post for August

Wow, I didn't intend to go missing for a whole month - first it was only supposed to be the week we went away and then when we got back, I decided, that I would take a break as long as Florian was on holiday. When he went back to work, we had visitors, so after they left, I decided that I would start again in September, so here I am back and raring to go.

Am I going to catch up on the whole of August - not really, I'm getting old and can't remember what we did for every day in August, but I will post plenty of pictures of our week away and anything else that we did whilst on holiday. So here goes

Our week in Dornumersiel, which is on the North Sea coast here in Germany. I had booked over the internet and loved the look of the place on the internet and it didn't disappoint.

This is the house we stayed in.

It was more than just a holiday home, someone had furnished this with love and spends their own holidays here, and you could feel that all around. We felt so at home. The boys had a room each, which they loved, could have had something to do with the fact that they both also had their own TV!

And now for a trip to the beach! The holiday home had a cart which we could use, to get all our "stuff" to the beach. And luckily for Florian and I the boys enjoyed pulling it.

The walk to the beach was lovely, they have put a lot of thought into it, and there are a lot of things to look at on the way there, I think Richard could still list it all in the right order, if we were to ask him. Here we are walking that path

This sea lion is along that path too, and perfect for the postcards we sent, shame the boys didn't look happier!

And here lots of beach photos, cause I couldn't decide on just a few!

These first two are our "Strandkorb" (Beach basket), we rented it if for the week, and I loved it. I was in the shade with a good book, what more could I want!

 And here my view!

The boys flying their kites!

 

And here the path between the sea and the beach.

And this is a "Wattwanderung" when the tide was out. I never did feel safe then, the sand was so sticky I was sure I was going to fall right over, luckily for the camera and phone I didn't!

Socks for in the "Watt", they had latex soles so we wouldn't hurt our feet on the broken shells

Richard loved it in the water and I think he went in every day we were there.

Other than the beach we did a bit of sight-seeing too, here is a working windmill we visited in Dornum (I didn't go up, didn't fancy the steep steps on the outside of the mill)

And one evening we visited the other sort of windmill and got to go right up it. The stairs went up on the inside, so I decided to brave it, and got to see the view from 65m up too!

On the day that it actually had the cheek to rain, we managed to catch a break in the rain for a ride on the pedalos (you can see the rain on Florian's shoulders, we got caught in it before we went on the water!)

I think that is a nice overview of our holiday! I am sure to have forgotten something, but never mind. 

Whilst we were on holiday, we gave Robert a present, he is now the proud owner of his own mobile phone. Apparently when the kids change schools, they get a mobile phone, well we wanted the novelty to have worn off by the time he starts school, and gave him his whilst away. He is still over the moon with it. I have a brilliant App on both his and my phone and I have full control over what he can and cannot do with it and at what time too (Screen Time is the name of the app). And once school starts again he will have a LOT more restrictions on it!

Anyhow here he is with it:

Florian had an extra two weeks holiday after we came back from Dornumersiel. And that was lovely too. On one day we went into Fulda and played crazy golf, I think it was the first time EVER that the boys haven''t had a paddy about something or another, and it was fun for all! See we are all still smiling and this is the hole before last!

More or less the last thing we did before Florian went back to work was buy new chickens! We now have 5 new hens and soon more eggs than we can ever eat (but I am sure someone around here will have some)

After three weeks off work, Florian finally had to go back. But we had no time to get too upset as my SIL from South Germany and her two sons came to stay. To start with for two nights, but the kids begged everyday to stay longer and they stayed for 5 days in the end. 

Here are the four of them at the playground.

And that in a nutshell was our August! Now to start blogging properly for September!

Day 212

I got up early this morning and I actually beat the boys up, not that they had a lay in, it was just the fact that I was downstairs before 7am. Why was I up early? to go to sport. we thought if we went early we would have the rest of the day to do fun things. Luckily this afternoon I could still move, tonight not so much, my arms have new muscles again! Oops!

This afternoon the boys and I went to the pool. It wasn't as hot as it was when we went with Florian, but the boys had fun in the pool, and I did plenty of reading sat in the shade fully dressed.
Richard wanted to go, as he had decided that today was the day when he was going to jump from the 3m board. I was ready with the camera as soon as he headed down to the pool. I didn't have to wait long, he went straight up and then just jumped.

It was so cute when afterwards I could hear him going "I did it, I did it, Robert I did it!" Bless!

I spent most of this evening getting everything ready for the packing, I just hope now that I can get it all in the bag and then the car tomorrow night.

CU then!

Day 211

I'm beginning to think that buying the season ticket for the swimming pool wasn't a good idea. It hasn't really stopped raining since we have had them at home :o(
So no swimming pool today either.

The boys watched a film whilst I was out shopping and in the afternoon we watched the Commonwealth Games whilst I did the ironing, from the amout of ironing I would say none of us, have clothes in their cupboard!

And that was our day in a nutshell, boring, I'll have to do better tomorrow, let's hope the weather will be obliging!

Robert's mobile came today and I also got him a SIM card for it, so I have been installing it ready for when we decide to give it to him. We found a couple of apps that allow parents the control over what is installed and used when, so we can block games and such when he is at school. He probably won't like that, but tough!

CU tomorrow!

Day 209 and Day 210

Holidays! And busy ones of course, time to play catch up!

Day 209 - Monday
Even though the boys were late to bed, they were up bright and early again, but that was OK we wanted an earlyish start to the day. Today we drove down to see Mum and Dad.
The boys were excited to show them their reports, and Mum even managed to get Richard to show Robert his and vice versa. Finally the fighting has an end (well, over this at least!)

For lunch we went to the beer garden. I had been looking forward to "Handkäse mit Musik" (that is really really smelly cheese in an onion dressing). Unfortunately they didn't have the traditional version there today, but the Mediterranean version was delicious too.

After lunch, the boys went and had a game of mini golf, whilst Mum and I sat in the shade chatting. Perfect!

On the way back to the car, we passed another playground, and the boys had a go on that too. So we were out quite a while. When we got back to Mum's the boys went in the garden with the neighbours daughter and splashed in her paddling pool, they got drowned, luckily I had a spare set of clothes with me! And Mum put the other set in the dryer just incase we needed yet another set of clothes!

In the evening we met my SIL and the girls for a meal out. The weather was threatening a storm, so we sat inside the storm never actually came, but never mind.

Just in time I remembered to get a picture of all the kids together

Cute aren't they!
We were really late home, but we had had a great day.

Day 210 - Tuesday
7.30am and the boys were awake, when will they learn to have a lay in??? (Remind me of this sentence, when they are teenagers and I can't get them to wake up!)

It was OK though, cause I knew I was leaving them home alone for a couple of hours this morning. I went to sport and they promised not to fight. When I got back they were watching a film and had enjoyed themselves. I had had a good time too, and Thursday we are going again :o)

This afternoon my friend came round with her son and we watched the videos from the school party. Her son was ill that evening so this is the closest they came to the party. We were then going to go to the swimming pool as we now have a season ticket, but the weather wasn't in a agreement. Maybe we'll have better luck tomorrow and maybe tomorrow I will also remember to get the camera out.

CU then

Day 208

Today we were invited to join Richard's old football team for their end of season outing. We all met at the football ground at 2pm and then after putting the cars where we need them set off for a walk through the woods.

And thank goodness it was through the woods, today must have been one of the hottest, sunniest days yet. We were walking towards the Sieberzmühle, only this time we didn't walk all the way, at about the halfway point we had parked some of the cars and from there we drove to the Sieberzmühle.
Once there the kids all had a game of skittles, the Mum's sat in the restaurant and had an ice cream, and the Dad's sat out by the chess game and had a beer. All in all a lovely afternoon.
After the kids had finished skittles, they all stripped down to their underpants and went swimming in the lake there. They loved it.
We then headed back to the sports ground, where they had then organised tea for us. Homemade hamburgers. Delicious!

All in all a fun day out for all of us!

CU tomorrow!